Alphapointe will move its jobs to Queens

(Originally published on News 12 Brooklyn here)

Rent forces nonprofit to move jobs for the blind, visually impaired
Posted: Aug 20, 2018 5:06 PM CDT Updated: Aug 20, 2018 9:26 PM CDT

BROOKLYN –

Rising rent is forcing the nonprofit Alphapointe to move its manufacturing jobs for the legally blind or visually impaired.

Alphapointe will move its jobs for putting together mops, brooms and military apparel from Borough Park to Queens. The company says its lease was up and that it decided to buy its own building.

The company says it’s now training its workers — the majority of whom live in Brooklyn — on how to take mass transit to Queens.

Of the company’s roughly 200 employees, News 12 is told that 141 of them are visually impaired or blind. Alphapointe built a replica of its new Queens location so workers can feel around and get accustomed to where they’ll be working.

Alphapointe says it will be able to hire more people and add jobs at its new building.